


Ink and Honey Running Down My Throat

by HollowNightmare



Series: Geralt and Jaskier being soft™ [1]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Geralt cares, Hurt/Comfort, Jaskier | Dandelion Whump, Panic Attacks, Platonic Relationships, Post-Episode: s01e05, Pre-Slash, Protective Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22152877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollowNightmare/pseuds/HollowNightmare
Summary: Jaskier has a panic attack; Geralt helps.Jaskier was kneeling in the snow, shivering, with his hands around his throat, tears and panic in his eyes.Geralt leapt to his side, overcome with worry. The bard was struggling to say something, but couldn't get any words out. He was breathing so heavily that the Witcher questioned whether any air was getting into him at all."Jaskier. Look at me. Can you breathe?"
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Geralt and Jaskier being soft™ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596391
Comments: 46
Kudos: 1727





	Ink and Honey Running Down My Throat

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> This is my first fic :)  
> I never thought I'd actually manage to write one, but here I am. I've loved The Witcher for some time (I've read the books and just finished watching the series) and I felt like writing something about it, so here is my attempt.
> 
> English is not my first language, so should you spot any mistakes or things that don't sound English please do tell me and I'll be forever in your debt.
> 
> Enjoy!

Being a Witcher was not, by any means, something one could enjoy. It entailed mostly pain, sorrow and loneliness. Over the years, however, Geralt had grown to quite like the silence that came with it; he enjoyed it, even.

So naturally, when Jaskier had decided to tag along — well, Geralt hadn't been amused by his continuous ramblings and songs and attempts at sparking a conversation. 

Roach had been incredibly helpful in trying to ignore whatever came out of the bard's mouth; the Witcher often took advantage of Jaskier having no horse, donkey or any other means of transport except for his own feet to leave him behind. But he could never get far enough, as Jaskier's voice, however faint, reached his ears all the same, even if he was several paces ahead of the bard.

Ignoring Jaskier wasn't an option, so Geralt had tried to shut him up. He had yelled at the bard, told him his songs were terrible and his voice was even worse, but to no avail. Jaskier, unfazed, had kept singing his ballads and talking about anything that crossed his mind, from his love for light-haired women to the beauty of the sunlight seeping through the trees.

His last resort were snide remarks and outbursts of anger to try and chase the bard away. Geralt didn't really want to come to that, but he felt that if he was to listen to another of Jaskier's songs he would rip the bard's throat open with his bare hands — treating him badly was better than killing him, surely.

Every now and then a particularly vicious comment would make his way into Jaskier's heart, and he would part ways with Geralt, red eyes and disappointment all over his face; but he always came back, bringing laughter and music to the Witcher's travels. 

Geralt was stubborn, but he wasn't an unreasonable person. It was clear there was nothing he could do about Jaskier; he had to accept the situation as it was — hopefully the bard's ramblings would grow on him.

And that they did. As time passed, the Witcher found himself to be more and more tolerant of his companion's incessant monologues; he learned to tune them out, and while he longed for the quiet he had lost (at least, as long as Jaskier was awake) he discovered he enjoyed the company just as much as he had the silence. 

Not that he'd ever admit that out loud. 

Also, that didn't mean the bard had stopped annoying the hell out of him. When he did pay attention to what Jaskier was saying or singing, he inevitably found himself questioning why he let the man come along. He frequently wished the ability to speak could be taken from humans, or this human at least. What's more, the bard was a safety hazard on hunts. His inability to keep his mouth shut had put both of them in danger more times than Geralt liked to count.

Still, he didn't dislike Jaskier. He had a difficult time putting up with him, sure, but he did care about the bard, which is why he didn't let him die from the djinn's curse, even if he'd had to ask a sorceress for help.

Right now, though, the idea of leaving Jaskier freezing in the woods was crossing his mind. They had been travelling for days through the snowy forest; on the second day the bard had started to cough, and he'd never stopped.

The only good thing about it was the lack of talking and singing. The downside was the constant coughing and complaining, which went on during the night as well, and Geralt didn't need to sleep much, but trying to rest with Jaskier seemingly coughing to death wasn't exactly his dream night.

He wished he could do something about it other than giving him his spare blanket, but he couldn't, so he had to put up with yet another annoying noise caused by his companion.

He was riding through the trees, talking softly to Roach in an attempt at tuning Jaskier's coughing out, and failing miserably, when the bard broke into a fit. 

This wasn't unusual per se, and the Witcher wouldn't have stopped, but after what felt hours of coughing Jaskier went silent, and that — that was concerning.

When Jaskier wasn't coughing, he was either talking or trying to talk. Him shutting up was almost unsettling. It was the same as when birds stopped singing abruptly because something bad was coming. 

Geralt got off Roach, and turned towards the bard. 

Jaskier was kneeling in the snow, shivering, with his hands around his throat, tears and panic in his eyes.

Geralt leapt to his side, overcome with worry. The bard was struggling to say something, but couldn't get any words out. He was breathing so heavily that the Witcher questioned whether any air was getting into him at all.

"Jaskier. Look at me. Can you breathe?" 

He lifted the bard's head. It didn't look as if Jaskier had heard him.

_Fuck._

"Jaskier. None of that. Come on. Can you hear me?"

The bard's panic-stricken eyes suddenly met his. He was trembling hard, and not because of the cold, if Geralt had to guess. He started scratching at his throat, leaving red marks on pale skin. The Witcher took the bard's hands into his.

"Jaskier, listen to me. It's fine. You can breathe, but you need to slow down. Here".

He placed one of Jaskier's hands on his chest.

"Can you feel my heart? Try and focus on that. Don't think about your breathing. I think we've established that I won't let you die, so you let me worry about that. Just focus on my heart".

Geralt didn't like to talk. He'd never been a talkative guy, and people rarely talked to him, so he was fine with being quiet. 

He spent the next twenty minutes or so telling Jaskier about the monsters he had slayed, the towns he had visited, the last time he'd had a fight with Yennefer, what he thought about the boar they had eaten three days before, the buttercups he had spotted the previous summer, and everything else he managed to think of.

When the bard's breathing stopped being erratic, and his heart returned to a healthy pace (for he could hear it pound in his chest), he got up, and helped Jaskier on his feet.

"What happened there?" he asked, not unkindly.

The bard sniffled.

"I… started coughing and I couldn't stop and I wasn't breathing at all and then the coughing stopped and I _couldn't breathe_ and I-" he took a big breath, steadying himself. "It was like being cursed all over again".

Geralt looked him in the eyes.

"You're okay".

Jaskier looked back, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"That I am". He looked at Roach, waiting for them not far ahead. "...thanks".

He still hadn't left the Witcher's hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. We all know Geralt is a big ol' softie. WE ALL KNOW THAT
> 
> Comments and kudos are obviously much appreciated! Also, you can come say hi on [tumblr](http://pengwings-are-cool.tumblr.com/) if you want to!
> 
> Have a nice day :)


End file.
